Knowledge on Speech and Hearing Course Among Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Psychologist in Kerala

Abstract

Speech and Hearing course provides a comprehensive professional training in the assessment, diagnosis and management of communication disorders. The knowledge of speech and hearing course among allied health professionals is essential for timely referrals and interprofessional rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness level among physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists in Kerala. A validated 30-item questionnaire (Thapa & Kumaraswamy, 2022) was administered to 90 professionals (psychologist, physiotherapist and occupational therapist) to assess the level of awareness among them. Kruskal-Wallis tests compared between the groups and Fisher's exact test analysed the overall awareness level using SPSS v23.0 software. The results revealed that there was no significant differences across the groups of professionals and the overall awareness was higher among physiotherapists (66.7%) compared to occupational therapists (56.7%) and psychologists (53.3%). Hence, the study demonstrates that increased awareness among allied professionals can enhance referrals and team-based interventions for communication disorders.